Museums are a key use case for AV over IP. Museum buildings may be large and uniquely designed. Interactivity and ever-changing content require system flexibility and the ability to scale as exhibits change. Content is consumed within the museums’ four walls, but it may also be broadcast or streamed to remote audiences. Many museums raise revenue doubling as event spaces, and require easy-to-adapt systems that also integrate with rental equipment. ADA considerations and research support mean that museum AV must support communication, collaboration, and data management. Their budgets can be cyclic, driven by fundraising and grants.
The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland, New Zealand, wanted to create an engaging and immersive storytelling exhibit focused on the history of flight. This installation would span from traditional Māori kite-making practices to modern aerospace innovations. With families and young visitors forming the core audience, the museum aimed to design a visually captivating experience that would encourage interaction. The vision was ambitious, with a need to deliver high-quality visuals and audio across a complex venue space with 15-meter-high ceilings and hanging objects, such as planes, that presented additional technical challenges.
The museum faced several obstacles in bringing this immersive exhibit to life. First, there were significant budget constraints, requiring the team to work with existing resources, including in-house data cables and repurposed Panasonic DLP projectors. Second, the space’s large size and unique architecture meant that traditional SDI or fiber cable runs would be impractical due to the height and distances involved. Additionally, the exhibit required six projectors and a local monitor to display synchronized high-resolution visuals, all while avoiding sync issues or resolution compromises. The team needed an AV-over-IP solution that would not only deliver strong visual performance but also integrate into the existing infrastructure without adding complexity.
DM Acoustic designed and installed MOTAT’s AV system utilizing Just Add Power’s 3G Ultra Series. Three Just Add Power VBS-HDIP-707POE 3G PoE transmitters were deployed to distribute 4K Ultra HD content throughout the installation. Paired with seven Just Add Power VBS-HDIP-509POE 3G PoE daisy-chain receivers, the system leveraged Ethernet pass-thru functionality, enabling integrated control and connectivity across the venue. The Just Add Power 3G Ultra video over IP solution provided an affordable and reliable way to distribute visually lossless 4K Ultra HD video with no latency over a single Cat-5e cable, making it a fit for MOTAT’s immersive video projections.
“We chose the Just Add Power 3G series because we’d previously found it reliable, fairly priced, and capable of advanced windowing features,” explained Matt Tucker, director of DM Acoustic. “In typical setups, using a third-party processor to split a 4K image into four 1080p images limits the vertical resolution to 1080 pixels, which wasn’t sufficient for MOTAT.”
With support for 4K video and HDR, HDCP 2.2, and 4K-to-1080p up and downscaling at the display location, the 3G Ultra series allowed the team to overcome the limitations of the space and its existing infrastructure, such as high ceilings and pre-existing cabling. This flexibility enabled the projectors to fully utilize their 1920×1200 resolution. The series also includes advanced features such as two-way RS232 and IP control, making it easier to manage the system within MOTAT’s existing setup.
Just Add Power’s support for video walls and audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS ensured that the installation would meet MOTAT’s needs well into the future, as system requirements evolve. Additionally, the ability to rotate, flip, and scale video within the system allowed the project to utilize the full capacity of the existing projectors while controlling the entire network over the museum’s current gigabit network.
“The Just Add Power receivers allowed us to window and rotate the final image, helping us achieve the precision and immersive visual quality MOTAT was looking for,” said Tucker. “And the data pass-thru capability meant we could control all the projectors on a single cable, reducing both complexity and cost.”
To make full use of the 1920×1200 resolution of the projectors, DM Acoustic used a clever workaround. They rotated the images 90 degrees using MadMapper, which allowed them to fit three 1920×1200 images into a single 4K output. This approach enabled the team to use two 4K outputs for six projectors, while the local monitor was directly connected to the graphics card—resulting in a synchronized display with no syncing issues.
“This solution allowed us to fully utilize our projectors’ 1200 vertical pixels, delivering sharper, higher-quality visuals that would have otherwise been impossible with traditional video splitting methods,” Tucker said. This flexibility and scalability were vital in delivering the experience MOTAT sought while staying within budget by using a mix of entry-level and advanced Just Add Power 3G Ultra models alongside legacy gear while achieving results that meet the visual expectations of modern museum visitors.
Proudly situated at the prestigious Museum Square in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum is evidence of the rich cultural heritage of the Netherlands. The museum is home to 1 million objects from 1200 to 2000; visitors can admire a curated selection of 8,000 objects, including masterpieces by revered artists such as Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer.
In addition to its historic art collection, the Rijksmuseum has a versatile auditorium, designed to accommodate art gatherings, corporate events, and other functions. By adding a contemporary dimension to the museum’s offerings, the auditorium provides a sophisticated setting for lectures, conferences, film screenings, and cultural performances. Its flexible design allows for integration of multimedia presentations.
Recently, the Rijksmuseum embarked on a mission to revamp and modernize its audiovisual infrastructure. Recognizing the limitations of the current system, the museum sought to simplify the user experience. The Rijksmuseum selected NFGD Audiovisual to update the museum’s legacy system.
Situated within this historic museum, the Rijksmuseum’s auditorium attracts a diverse range of sponsors and clients who utilize the space for presentations. “The auditorium, accommodating 200 people, serves as a venue for both internal meetings and corporate events,” explained Stephan van Veldhoven, team leader, projects and technology for NFGD Audiovisual.
Van Veldhoven added, “The existing audiovisual system in the auditorium was outdated and required an upgrade. Our solution focused on providing intuitive control. They sought a setup where a single operator could manage the entire system efficiently, even during larger events requiring the support of a few technicians.”
Collaborating closely with IDM Solutions, NFGD Audiovisual worked to develop an integrated audiovisual. Together they designed a system encompassing control systems, AV-over-IP distribution, and audio and video components. IDM Solutions selected Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series, with 18 PacketAV Encoders and 8 PacketAV Decoders, as the core infrastructure for the audiovisual system.
“This project marked our first use-case with Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series Solutions,” Van Veldhoven added. “While we had previously used demo kits, this was the first full-scale implementation of their products. The setup process was straightforward, and the system’s performance during live productions was reliable, thanks to the robust connectivity of the QSC system. The user interface provided clear feedback, ensuring smooth operation throughout.”
